1. Field
Some example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices with a relatively high integration degree, high density and low power consumption have been demanded with the development of the electronic industry. A semiconductor device having a relatively high integrated circuit may be designed using a multi-layered interconnection structure. These interconnections may be formed of a metal material such as aluminum. In other words, an aluminum layer may be deposited on an insulating layer, and a patterning process may be performed on the aluminum layer to form an aluminum interconnection.
However, design rules of semiconductor devices have been reduced, so the aluminum interconnections have been replaced with a copper interconnection. The aluminum may have a relatively great electrical resistance, and the electrical resistance of the aluminum interconnection may further increase as a width of the aluminum interconnection decreases. Thus, operating speed of semiconductor devices may be reduced. On the contrary, an electrical resistance of the copper is lower than that of the aluminum, and the copper is inexpensive. Thus, the aluminum interconnections are being replaced with copper interconnections. However, etching the copper by an etching process may be difficult, and thus, the copper interconnections may be formed using a damascene process.
Spaces between interconnections have been reduced by the high integration degree of semiconductor devices. Thus, even though materials of the interconnections are changed as described above, an interference phenomenon may be caused between the interconnections to delay signal transfer speeds of the interconnections.